


Legend

by Hibari1_san



Series: SASO 2017 : Bonus Round 1 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Mentions of alcoholism, mentions of - Freeform, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-12 14:27:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11163768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hibari1_san/pseuds/Hibari1_san
Summary: "Prompt: AU where Takeda is actually the Little Giant (remember when this was a theory?)"





	Legend

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dokuhan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dokuhan/gifts).



> Major Tags: Reference to Abuse (verbal, domestic, and emotional manipulation ?)  
> Other Tags: Alcohol, Anxiety, Insomnia, Mental Health issues

Takeda remembered his years at the Karasuno Volleyball Club : the deep voice of Old coach Ukai yelling instructions right and left, first years frantically running to prepare for practice. There was a time where this spacious gym was so crowded that in summer, they had to divide with half of them practicing outside and the other inside. During winter, they would send the first years and the part of the second years who hadn’t make it into the team with the girl’s team.For the chosen ones, who had to spend all the time under Old coach Ukai’s fearful gaze, it was just _hell_.  
  
He hadn’t even cared at that time. He had to be the best.  
  
He honestly didn’t even remember what his teammates looked like. It wasn’t important. He wasn’t there because he liked volleyball and he certainly wasn’t there to make friends.  
  
He was playing volleyball because that’s what his father had wanted.  
  
Not that his father had given any sort of crap about volleyball. It didn’t even have to be volleyball but he had to join a sport and be the best at it. It was just coincidence that Karasuno was well-known for his strong volleyball team. And that’s how he joined.  
  
He even remembered the look on Old coach Ukai’s face when he had introduced himself for his first day. But while it had been quite funny how surprised he had been, Ukai had at least taken him seriously. His teammates at that time hadn’t been as supportive  
  
“ _You’re too short._ ”, “ _You look weak_ ”, “ _You should practice to be a libero_ ”.  
  
Takeda hadn’t seem to see the problem with being a libero, but judging from the way they had spat the word, they might as well have insulted him.  
  
It was sad to think that at that time, Takeda had been so used to being belittled and insulted in his own home that he had hardly paid them a look.  
  
From then on, he had practiced like mad. With his reflex from when he had been on the basketball team in his middle school, he quickly became really good. Upon entering his second year, Old coach Ukai had made him a regular. It was hardly a surprise for anyone that had seen him on the court but the regulars were third years. It was like an unwritten rule in the team. And yet, he was the one who had taken them to the Nationals.  
  
And then, quickly after that, the achievement he had so yearned for, his world had changed. His mother had finally been able to leave his violent, alcoholic and homophobic father and just like that, he didn’t have to play a sport again and best it. The change had been too sudden. No more yelling, no more insults, no more disgusted look thrown his way and threats. His surroundings had changed too as they had moved to live with his grandparent. It had taken him until the end of high school for his instincts to stop being on the defensive, to stop being so fidgety and suspicious, and so damn aggressive all the time.  
  
When he entered college, his parents officially divorced and he took his mother’s family name to start anew. Around the same time, his eyesight went bad and he was pleased to be able to manifest the change in him with some sort of physical proof.  
  
He decided to become a teacher partially to give his mother some peace of mind with a steady job and also because he wanted to be able to help young teenagers.  
  
His resolve had almost crumbled when he had been assigned to Karasuno. This place held too many bad memories and he was sure he was going to have a panic attack. However, his worst fear was to run into his father. When he had talked to her mother to give her the news, she gave him the strength to move forward.  
  
“ _Oh, I didn’t tell you ? He died a year after the divorce. He literally drank to death._ ”  
  
Takeda didn’t know what to think about his sheer relief when hearing the news. It felt too unreal to hear that your persecutor couldn’t harm you anymore. He wondered whether it was common in those cases not to feel the least bit sad. He didn’t feel like throwing a party either, he wasn’t happy with the news, but with the implications that came from it. He was starting to feel like his closure had come for good and he could start looking forward to the beginning of his adult teacher life.  
  
When he had been assigned as the supervisor of the Volleyball club, Takeda had felt like screaming. He knew that the club and the team had fallen into disgrace, which honestly had also relieved him, but he couldn’t believe that no one else could take on that position. He had slowly, so very slowly taken the well-known, engraved in his DNA type, path towards the gym. At the doors, he had taken a deep breath and -  
  
“Excuse me, but are you the new supervisor ?”  
  
This time, Takeda had promptly screamed. It turned out that some members, second years as they had introduced themselves, were already waiting for him to open the door. With the company, he could take his insecurities to the back of his mind and he had been so genuinely taken in by their enthusiasm that he could relax.  
  
He had felt a little bad for lying about not knowing anything concerning the sport but they had all been really understanding and nice about that. Which somehow made him feel guiltier about the whole thing. And when the next day they had turned up with some books for beginners, Takeda had excused himself pretending to receive a call, to run to the nearest toilet and cry for a bit. When he finally returned to watch them practice, he gritted his teeth at all of the mistakes he could spot. And some would have been so easy to fix, like bending their knees a bit more to receive a ball or waiting a second more to block. Others would have to take practice, but they were a lot better than Takeda would have expected from a team people now called “Fallen Crows”.  
  
After this practice, he came up with a simple answer. If he wasn’t going to grow up and own up to his past, he could at least give them a proper coach.  
Takeda felt truly sad for Old coach Ukai’s health problems but he still didn’t feel ready to meet his former coach. Instead, he found out that his grandson, who had been properly trained by his grandfather and still kept training lived in town. Ukai Keishin had refused the first time he had brought it up. And the few others that came up afterwards. But Takeda was nothing if determined. He was certain that Ukai was the one they needed. He was ready to bet on it. And he did. It was a big risk for him and his secret to arrange a practice with Nekoma when they were still being coached by Old Nekomata. He had glared plenty at the man at that time, feeling like they were mocking him at each loss. Sure, he had changed, but Old Nekomata was sharp but that was a concern for another time he thought as he put on his best suit and headed towards the Sakanoshita Store. His heartbeat was erratic when Ukai accepted and he couldn’t swear that it was only due to the coaching he had scored for his team.  
  
Takeda loved it when he was right. He watched contently as New coach Ukai fixed all the mistakes and improved the team’s level altogether. He was happy that the mood had lifted especially after Nishinoya and Asahi’s return. But as he watched them and became more invested, he also started to feel guilty.  
  
It had come in the most unexpected way because Takeda hadn’t been prepared for it. It happened when Hinata, small, cheerful, volleyball idiot Hinata had sang the praises of the Little Giant and it was like a knife in his heart, sharp and deadly.  
  
He didn’t deserve to be worshiped by anyone, least of all Hinata.  
  
Takeda felt like a fraud. So incredibly guilty that the hero Hinata looked up to so much was not who he thought he was. How would Hinata react if he realized that the Little Giant had gotten his title to escape from the slurs of an alcoholic and violent father who only believed in winning and thought nothing of the rest ? That he didn’t even have fun when playing volleyball because to him, ‘fun’ was just an alien word and didn’t hold any meaning.  
  
That guilt was maybe the reason why he had told the team to give Hinata the jersey number 10. And as he did so, he had the crazy feeling that if Hinata were to win the Nationals with this same jersey, that fact might clean him of his past sins.  
  
However, from the time being, it seemed like Takeda’s own personal little hell. Watching these teenagers giving all their free time to a sport they were passionate about was like a slap in the face to Takeda. Every time one of them had to face some hardship, talked about their dream to live and breathe the sport or insisted on attending practice even though they were barely strong enough to walk. When realization had dawned on him, it was like a switch had been flipped and he could distinctly remember the faces of every volleyball enthusiast he had deprived of the occasion of standing on the court playing the sport they loved. He could barely sleep at night.  
  
One thing he never seemed to remember though was the face of his teammates. The ones who he had taken to the Nationals, to the victory. It felt like a bad joke to Takeda and that’s probably why one late evening after practice, he ushered everyone out, claiming that he wanted to avoid a visit from his parents he wanted to avoid, promising to clean up and lock up. He then headed straight to the the coach’s room where he knew they kept every official match on tape, at least until the team’s fall down. He didn’t have to look for very long because the tape was carefully kept near the trophy that had the place of honor in the small room. He didn’t really know why he hadn’t just taken it to watch at home. It was like he was being pulled to place the tape inside the player of the room. He took the same spot he had taken so many years ago that it felt like it was in another life when the coach would show him the practice matches of other teams. And suddenly, here he was. He could barely recognize himself and he felt a lump in his throat. But he quickly shook himself out of it. He wasn’t watching this for himself.  
  
Takeda didn’t know when he had started crying. He had only realized it when everything had become to blurry to distinguish anything and after, he couldn’t contain himself anymore and started bawling his eyes out. It was the end of the match when the door of the coach’s room opened and although he couldn’t see much, Takeda knew it was Ukai.  
  
“Sensei, it’s you ? But, why are you crying ?!”  
  
As the younger man crouched down in front of him, he could only point towards the tv screen. He had been half scared that he wouldn’t turn around but it seemed like luck, or sheer curiosity, was on his side this night.  
  
It was the ceremony.  
  
At first, since Ukai wasn’t saying anything, he thought that he hadn’t gotten the point and Takeda certainly didn’t look forward to explaining the meaning of this. But then, as they called his name to step forward and get his medal, he felt him freeze.  
  
“Sensei, is that… _**you**_ ?”  
  
His only response was to cry a bit louder but Ukai seemed to understand since he kept silent, staring at the screen until the tape came to an end and the screen turned blue.  
  
Ukai knew about his secret but that was just the tip of the iceberg. He needed to convey so much more about his sins. So, he carefully chose his next words.  
  
“It’s _**not**_ me.”  
  
Finally, Ukai turned to look at him but he only seemed puzzled by his answer.  
  
“That person is not me.”  
  
Whether it was thanks to the look on his face or the venom in his voice, Ukai seemed to get what he was trying to convey. His look softened and he wore a small smile.  
  
“Of course not, Takeda-sensei can’t play volleyball to save his life after all.”  
  
Takeda almost choked in his own tears when he laughed. He was finally starting to relax when the feel of Ukai’s fingers on his cheeks, cleaning him of his tears made him stop breathing.  
  
Audibly. And Ukai chuckled at his reaction.  
  
“Great. So how about we put this tape back where it belongs, clean up the gym and go for some diner ? My treat.”  
  
Maybe it was because he had finally been able to share his secret, and not been judged for his past, or the great possibility that he had just been asked out on a date by his crush, but Takeda felt lighter than ever. He nodded and smiled brightly at him.  
  
“I’d love that.”  
  
That night, he slept like a log.

 

  
  
  
He loved his team. He loved their diligence and cheerfulness. He couldn’t help but cheer for them even if the outcome, to someone as experienced as him in the field, was obvious. They made him feel like they could create miracles, and beat the Odds.  
  
Make their own path and their own future.  
  
Like he had.  
  
And for that, they didn’t need a dead legend.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading it ! I hope you enjoyed even with all this angst :3
> 
> Maybe there'll be a continuation but when I have the time XD
> 
> (This fic is crossposted on Dreamwidth)


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